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Return of Benje Orozco Jr. bolsters West Salem in undefeated start

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West Salem's Benje Orozco Jr. (12) runs up to meet Brennan Johnson (13) as Grant High School makes an attempt on goal late in the game on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

West Salem head coach Eddy Soboll talks to the team during halftime at a game against Grant High School on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

West Salem's Connor Young (10) handles the ball in a game against Grant High School on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

West Salem's Max Shaw (4) fights for control of the ball in a game against Grant High School on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

West Salem's Alexander Sanchez (5) works to keep the ball away from Grant High School's Alex Moskowitz (5) in a game on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

West Salem's Stuart Aeschliman (9) controls the ball in a game against Grant High School on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

West Salem's Connor Young tries to push past Grant's Dylan Palmer in a game on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, at Grant High School in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

West Salem's Elton Kraynick looks for an open teammate in a game against Grant High School on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

West Salem's Jesus Lara (8) controls the ball while surrounded by Grant players in a game against Grant High School on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

West Salem's Jesus Lara (8) controls the ball in a game against Grant High School on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

West Salem's Stuart Aeschliman (9) controls the ball in a game against Grant High School on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant. MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal

PORTLAND — Benje Orozco Jr., has a talent for taking away the breath of soccer fans.

The West Salem High School senior goalkeeper will make an aggressive play by coming out on an oncoming forward and deflect the ball. In doing he will find himself out of position and make a diving move back to deflect the ball again.

He made six saves as West Salem, which came into the game No. 2 in the OSAA power rankings, remained undefeated in tying No. 5 Grant 1-1 on the road.

This is the kind of impact Orozco hoped he would make in his return to the field in a West Salem jersey for the first time since 2013.

“You can feel it,” West Salem coach Eddy Soboll said. “Like when we subbed him last game at West, he came in and we stepped it up against Woodburn, and it just gave confidence to the team.

“The effort that he puts in, and it’s not just in games and practices, he’s just a fabulous person, a fabulous player. He adds so much quality for the team. I’d really hope that he would keep putting the intensity with these guys because we have a quality team.”

Much was expected of West Salem (3-0-1) this season, and the Titans are delivering.

The team that placed second in Class 6A in 2015 returned one of the top players in the nation in senior forward Stuart Aeschliman, and he is delivering.

He scored the Tuesday’s first goal by nailing a free kick from 20 yards out 30 minutes into the game.

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West Salem's Stuart Aeschliman (9) controls the ball in a game against Grant High School on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016, in Portland, Ore. The West Salem Titans tied 1-1 with Grant.(Photo: MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman Journal)

Considering that the Titans graduated four players off last year’s team and lost Tyler Ballenger to West Salem’s football team, their level of play thus far has been impressive.

“I’m surprised,” said Aeschliman, last year’s Gatorade Oregon Player of the Year. “I thought we lost some key guys, but I knew that we gained some good talent, too.

“I wasn’t sure how we were going to start the season, but it started well so I guess it’s encouraging for the rest of the year.”

The additions to the team are making an impact.

West Salem added in junior midfielder/forward Connor Young, who came to the school from Arizona and has experience in the Olympic Development Program.

Where the Titans’ players are still adjusting to Young and what his role in the team will be, they know what Orozco’s role will be.

“A lot of these guys I do know, and it’s good to see guys who were my teammates and were younger and now they’re playing with me,” Orozco said. “That’s fun and always entertaining. It gets some good dynamics in there with a variety of people.”

As a freshman Orozco took over as West Salem’s starting goalkeeper and was a second-team all-Central Valley Conference player.

But his career took off from there as he travelled to play internationally and played for the Portland Timbers Academy in his sophomore year. But a concussion ended that season prematurely.

He transferred to Western Mennonite for his junior year and was a first-team all-league and second-team all-state selection at goalkeeper, but he wanted to come back to West Salem for his senior year.

His presence has already been noticeable.

“I think it brings a lot of confidence and security in the back,” Aeschliman said.

“We know that we can rely on him. Obviously not that we can make mistakes, but that he has our back if we do make mistakes. He can be that last line of defense to break anything up and just be solid back there, be that insurance.”

Orozco, who frequently will take free kicks in the middle of the field, plays the game with an exciting style.

It can lead to some heart stopping moments, but he also makes a lot of plays no one would suspect a goalkeeper could.

It’s been a transition as Orozco transitions back to playing in the Titans’ black and green jerseys, but his play is impressive.

“It was a great experience,” Orozco said. “I had some health issues and we’re getting back into it, so we’re trying to see what I can contribute, see how it’s going to work. It’s interesting dynamics because I’ve never played for this coach.

“I really like his approach, his Brazilian style to kind of roll off your shoulder kind of aspect to his mentality. It’s good for us. You saw Stuart do his best last year, so that’s a good thing when you see your teammate doing very well.”

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6701 or Twitter.com/bpoehler

West Salem 1, Grant 1

At Grant

WS- Stuart Aeschliman (FK) 30:00; G- Solas Wall-Johnson 42:00.

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West Salem senior Stuart Aeschliman scores on a free kick in a 1-1 tie with Grant on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2016.